


Colours and Promises

by littlelooneyluna



Category: robron
Genre: Angst sort of, Gen, I have a thing about writing them as a cute little family so sue me, M/M, self harm mentions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2020-01-13 06:10:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18463082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlelooneyluna/pseuds/littlelooneyluna
Summary: robert and aaron navigate their way around their children finding out about aaron’s scars





	Colours and Promises

**Author's Note:**

> This obviously looks into Aaron’s self harming, just a little heads up if that’s not your thing.

 

 

 

 

**Seb:**

They go on their first proper holiday when Seb’s just turned three, Jacob’s still a little baby so he won’t remember anything about it but it’s the four of them finally.

They’re away from the village and the rain and the sun beams down on them as they enjoy a resort, a well earned rest.

Robert’s never seen Aaron look so relaxed before, stupid snapback tilted down and black sunglasses on, Jacob on his chest sleeping as they enjoy the views.

Seb’s playing in the sand, and Robert watches him before turning and seeing Aaron try to take off his top. He’s complaining about Jacob complaining and he thinks it’s better if he’s just flush against his skin and not the fabric of the top.

So he takes his top off, and Robert sort of quietly praises how much it doesn’t bother Aaron anymore.

The scars.

There’s a less visible one on his right forearm too but it doesn’t have the same effect, the same impact.

They’re still there, some so much more visible than others. Robert doesn’t count them anymore because he doesn’t have a reason to worry, Aaron doesn’t give him any really.

“That’s better.” Aaron whispers, strokes at Jacob’s thin hair and closes his eyes before he feels Seb waving a hand out from the sand and running towards them.

He’s just a chubby little blonde thing, an absolute angel and he’s got these silly pineapple shorts on, they’re the same pair Robert’s sporting. They’re ridiculous.

“Daddy, Daddy, can you play?”

Aaron and Robert look between themselves. “Which one?” Aaron asks and Seb makes his desires clear when he practically drags Aaron to his feet. “Mind the baby.” He says, chuckling as he passes Jacob over towards Robert and runs with Seb out towards the sea.

Robert fights against the way he wants to snap a photo, caption it something cheesy like ‘My Boys 💙’ 

Jacob wakes up and punches him in the face before he gets the chance to think about it anymore.

 

—

 

Seb’s in the bath later, the resort’s humming down a little now that the night is drawing in and yet Seb’s splashing away like a crazy person in the bath. Eventually he stops, and then he raises his head and wriggles his eyebrow.

“What you thinking about buddy?” Aaron tilts his head to the side as he starts washing the little boy properly.

Seb frowns. “Did someone hurt your tummy?”

It makes Aaron freeze.

He doesn’t get to hear anything other than that and then he realises what he’s saying. He realises that maybe Seb’s finally old enough to sort of understand, maybe seeing Aaron playing with him today made it all sink in.

It might have made him realise that they were always there.

“Uh ... sort of.” Aaron says, he looks down and then bites his lip as he puts the sponge down and leans over the bath to look right at the little boy. “A really long time ago.”

Seb picks up one of his toys and plays with it. “Is that why it’s scratchy?”

Aaron blinks, suddenly overwhelmed by how hard this is, how careless he had been. It had crossed his mind, having to tell him, when Seb was only little, but he’s been too distracted with happiness to really notice. He nods a little and Seb asks if he can do anything to make it better.

“No darling, I don’t mind it.” Aaron says, runs a hand through Seb’s wet hair. He looks up, looks confused again and Aaron breathes out. “They’re just ... they’re just part of daddy.”

Seb’s little mouth opens and then closes again.

“Does daddy giant have ...”

“No, no, just — just me.” Aaron tries to smile and then he closes his eyes, holds Seb’s little hand. “Darling you’re not ... not scared are you?”

Seb shakes his head quickly and Aaron smiles, he gets back to washing him and then gets him out. Seb’s already talking about something else by the time he’s in his pyjamas.

“Can we play in the sand again tomorrow?” He asks and Aaron, overwhelmed and stupid, just nods his head.

“Come here you.” He says, practically squeezes the life out of the little boy until he squeals and Robert comes in with Jacob in his arms.

“Everything good?” He asks, and Aaron just gulps as he watches Seb run into the next room.

“Later.” He replies, still almost stunned by it all.

 

—

 

“He asked about them.” Aaron says, they’re cuddled up in bed and the baby monitor is silent so Aaron knows they can talk. “My scars.” He adds when Robert just frowns at him.

Robert’s face seems to drop a little, he starts apologising and Aaron tells him to shut his face.

“How did ... I should have been there ... you shouldn’t have had to do that on your own.”

“They’re my ...” He goes to say the word problem and then thinks better for it, decides to just sigh. “He took it fine, so it’s okay.”

“Was it ‘cause he saw ya today, without ...” Aaron nods. “He’s seen you before though, like that?”

Aaron’s eyes flicker. “Yeah well maybe it just sunk in more today.” He shrugs. “Maybe he didn’t realise they were _always_ going to be there.” His chin wobbles slightly and he feels this self loathing start to take over slightly.

“Hey.” Robert hovers a hand across Aaron’s middle, squeezes him tighter. “They’re just a part of you, his daddy, it’s —“

“That’s what I said.” Aaron looks up at Robert. “He seemed fine about it all, but ...”

“But what?”

“Jacob.” He says suddenly. “I’ll have to do it all over again one day.” He rubs a hand across his face in frustration until he feels Robert kissing his temple.

“We’ll do it together.” He whispers, “It’ll be fine if we do it together okay?”

Aaron leans in further towards him, gets lost in the feel of Robert holding him so tightly.

 

—

 

When Seb gets older he understands it more, he goes to school, he learns about self harm, he gets that it wasn’t someone else.

One day he comes home from school and just squeezes the life out of Aaron, he’s nearly eighteen and nearly double Aaron’s size.

“What was that for?” Aaron says, finishing the washing up to turn around.

“You’re just ... really brave.” He says, at first Aaron doesn’t understand, it takes him a while and then he decides to sit down with him over a cup of tea and talk.

“Was it about ... him?”

He knows about Gordon, he’s known for a couple of years now and he’s bound to realise that it’s all connected.

Aaron nods a little. “And other things. Things that ... that I don’t think about now.” He says, he looks lovingly at Seb and then smiles. “Not when I have you lot.” He says.

“I’m here if ... if you ever think about doing anything then ...”

“Seb, that’s not your responsibility.”

“But ...”

“Your dad.” Aaron says. “I go to him, or Paddy or my mum, or —“ He waves a hand around and then sighs. “You get it?”

Seb’s chin wobbles a little and Aaron realises it must be so hard to know that someone you love used to hurt themselves in such a way. To know that you couldn’t have done a thing to stop it.

He sees that silly little boy playing in the bath, he sees him asking all these questions and understanding everything. He sees it and then he sees him sitting right here and he’s overwhelmed once again.

“Love ya.” Seb says, and he looks so much like Robert it’s almost unbelievable. Aaron squeezes down on Seb’s hand, tells him he loves him more.

 

—

 

**Jacob:**

 

Aaron turns into a little bit of a gym bunny and Robert is one hundred percent not complaining about it at all.

Jacob’s playing on the floor with his cars when he comes back late from the gym and Robert’s eyes nearly fall out of his head when he sees him come in.

“Well hi.” Robert says, he bites his lip a little and then smiles as Aaron says he needs a shower. “You can start stripping now?”

Aaron looks back towards their three and a half year old jamming cars into each other and making explosion sounds and then he looks back. “Can I?”

“Keeping it PG and everything.” Robert says. He bites his lip again and looks at Aaron up and down before bringing him closer by the waist.

“I stink.”

“I don’t care.” Robert says before cupping Aaron’s face and kissing him hard. He manages to get Aaron’s sweaty top off just before Annie starts crying.

She’s teething, it’s really not fun.

“I’ll go.” Aaron huffs, he starts getting up the stairs before Jacob decides to start going on about what he learnt at nursery. “Really?” He tries to remain interested, “Come up and we’ll see what Annie’s complaining about.” He says, he reaches down and holds Jacob by his waist before getting to her little room and picking her up, putting Jacob down.

She stops crying almost immediately. “I think she just wanted some cuddles.” He says, bounces her up and down and then when he turns he sees Jacob staring right at him.

He’s got his head tilted and Aaron asks him what’s wrong but he just shakes his head and runs away.

Aaron’s too tired to follow him, only sort of realises what might be the problem when he gets into the bed that night.

“Jacob saw me without a top on.”

“I’ll call the police, one minute.” Robert says, head buried in a pillow as he rolls over.

“Robert. He saw the scars on my stomach.” He says and Robert rubs at his eyes before sitting up a little to mirror Aaron.

“And what did he say?”

Aaron shudders. “Nothing.” He whispers, he thinks of Seb, he doesn’t ask about them and whenever he does see them he seems a little sad but then he quickly shrugs it off. He’s at the age now where he’s even more curious, Aaron’s told him that he can ask him anything. “I asked what was wrong and then he ran out the room. Do you think he was ...”

“No.”

“He could have been. I’d be scared if I saw —“ Aaron dips his head and wipes at his eyes quietly.

“We’ll speak to him tomorrow.” Robert says, he squeezes Aaron’s hand and kisses him gently. “I love you.”

“Even when I scare your ...”

“They’re yours too.”

Aaron sighs. “God help ‘em.”

Robert shakes his head and then pushes Aaron down on the bed, kisses him breathlessly and holds him close. “Don’t say stuff like that.” He whispers, voice barely there as he kisses Aaron’s neck and Aaron strokes through Robert’s hair.

 

—

 

He’s probably got a cold, it’s why he’s laid up in bed the next day and it’s also why Robert’s running around downstairs like a little bit of a headless chicken.

He’s running around after three kids.

Seb’s six now, nearly seven and so he thinks he rightfully rules the whole house or something. Robert gives in half the time, this are one of those times.

“Aaron?” He shouts up the stairs, Aaron raises his head wearily. “I’m taking them to school, I’ll be back soon!” He says.

Aaron reaches for a tissue, head banging but he manages to croak out an okay, hear an I love you back before the door is slammed a little too loudly for his liking.

 

He decides to watch telly downstairs and dozes off there, the next time he wakes up Robert’s left a note about taking Annie to work, that there’s soup in the microwave for him and Chas is having the kids. He smiles faintly as he rubs his eyes and then sighs hard as he hears the door bell ringing.

He gets up as quickly as he can to answer it before the sound rings again. He doesn’t expect to see Liam standing there, as in, Bernice’s husband.

“Uh ...”

He doesn’t get the chance to say another thing before he sees Jacob’s tiny hands pushing Liam inside.

“Jacob! What are you —“

“Liam’s a doctor so he can make you better.” Jacob says, he’s bouncy curly hair is moving as he shakes his head against Aaron telling him he’s fine.

“Seriously buddy, it’s just a cold.” Then he looks at Liam. “He’s meant to be with my mum?”

“I was in the pub. He insisted.”

“He’s three.”

“He’s persuasive.” Liam says awkwardly, “But if it’s just a cold then ...”

“It’s because of the cuts on daddy’s tummy, can you stop it?” Jacob tilts his head right up at Liam and suddenly the air in the room changes.

The whole atmosphere is thick with something and Liam blinks. He says he should go, he says sorry and Aaron’s face reddens.

“I haven’t ... it’s just scars.” Aaron feels this need to explain himself as he shows Liam out. He just shakes his head at him though, tells him that he doesn’t have to.

It makes him feel even worse.

When he comes back into the room, Jacob’s folded his arms and he’s scowling. He’s such a mini me that it’s scary.

“Jacob, come and sit down with me.” Aaron says, he pats the sofa and Jacob jumps up with ease. “They don’t hurt me, they’re not why I’m sick.” He whispers. “I promise you.”

Jacob goes to speak and then the door goes and Robert’s there with Seb. “Chas’ keeping Annie, Seb wanted to come back but — you can’t run off like that Jake.” Robert says, shakes his head at Jacob and then his face falls when he hears his son say he wanted to make the cuts go away.

Seb stays quiet, bites his lip and then he shakes his head. “They don’t need to go away.” He says, Jacob doesn’t understand, he’s only little, he’s really little and Aaron looks desperately towards Robert who sits Seb on his lap and looks at Jacob.

“Daddy doesn’t need them to go away Jakey.” Robert says softly, he runs a hand against Jacob’s hair. “It’s okay.”

Jacob frowns. “Did it hurt?”

“Yeah.” Aaron whispers, voice hollow. “But I don’t ... it doesn’t happen anymore okay?”

“It was an ac’undant?”

Robert holds his breath as Aaron nods.

“Yeah, sort of.”

Seb buries his head into Aaron’s neck like he’s trying to support him through this, it makes Aaron wipe at his eyes a little. 

“Nothing to be scared about though is it?” He says, “Nothing at all.”

Jacob doesn’t say anything for the longest of time. He just looks deep in thought. “Is it like when I ... scratched my leg on the stairs ‘cause I thought it wouldn’t hurt that much?” Aaron frowns and then nods a little.

“Yeah a little.” Aaron whispers, “You didn’t think it through did ya? Silly banana.”

It makes Jacob giggle, big toothy grin as Robert tickles his side. 

“So I don’t need the doctors or anything okay? No more worrying.” Aaron whispers, after Jacob’s stopped laughing. The little boy nods and then smiles. “Kisses?” Aaron whispers, before Jacob jumps up and kisses him. He holds him close into a hug after, feels Seb around him tense.

Robert strokes Seb’s hair. “You don’t need to be careful with daddy.” He whispers, and Seb jumps up on Aaron, pins him down with Jacob’s help.

“I’ve still got a cold!” He says as they start burying him with cushions.

Robert stands back, content with all the laughter he hears.

 

—

 

**Annie:**

 

Annie’s always been a little less fearless than her brothers. She’s sensitive, she takes things to heart even when she shouldn’t and Aaron says she’s picked it up from him.

Robert calls him daft.

For the most part, it doesn’t really matter. She’s all better after a squeeze and a biscuit, but other times, she worries the hell out of them.

She always will. Especially when she goes all quiet on them, gets all clingy.

She’s five, only five, and yet she worries about a lot of things that she shouldn’t. It’s why they’ve ended up here, in the middle of her classroom with Ms Bell telling them that she’s quieter than usual.

“She seems to be distracted by something. It’s quite difficult to get to the bottom of.” Ms Bell makes the point of tilting her head a little and Robert gets his back up.

“She’s fine.” He says, and then Aaron looks at him. “Maybe she’s a little on the quiet side but ...”

“Is everything ... okay at home?” Aaron scoffs. “I have to ask.”

“We’re fine.” He says, stands and then shakes his head. “We’ll find out what’s wrong.” He promises.

Only it’s difficult when she doesn’t want to say anything. Not anything at all.

“I’m worried about her. I’m really worried about her.” Aaron says, it’s later now, he watches her sleeping from the door of her room and Robert holds his waist. 

“We just have to wait for her to come to us.” Robert says, “And she will.” He whispers.

 

—

 

She does, two days later she curls up towards Aaron and says that she doesn’t want him to hurt.

It makes absolutely no sense, it’s nearly one in the morning and Robert is still somehow dead to the world when it’s happening. Aaron scoots up slightly and then she just starts crying.

She’s really crying and Aaron’s hand shake as he brings her towards him. He kicks out, gets Robert awake and he’s taking Annie within seconds, allowing Aaron to rub the tears from his eyes and stop breathing so erratically.

It’s awful, it’s on instinct to see your kid crying her eyes out and immediately mirror her.

Robert’s better at keeping his emotions in check, he always has been really, so he just rubs at Annie’s back until she’s becoming too tried to cry.

“Come here, you can tell us ... _anything_.” He says, he holds her face and smiles. “We won’t be angry.” 

Annie rubs at her eyes tiredly and then looks towards Aaron. “Nanny said ... nanny told grandad Paddy that ...”

“That what?”

“She’ll always be waiting for ... you to be in ‘ospital again ‘cause of your ‘cars.”

“She said what?” Robert’s jaw locks as he sees Aaron’s face fall, he sees Annie bury her head into Robert’s neck. She says she doesn’t want daddy to go away and he holds her tightly. “He’s not going anywhere, daddy tell her —“

Aaron’s mouth is completely dry. He looks up towards her and untangles her from Robert so that she’s staring at him. “Look at me, look at me, I’m — I’m not going to go anywhere.” He whispers, “Ever. I’m your daddy.”

“But the ... she said that —“

“To you?”

“She thought I was sleeping.” Annie explains, rubs at her eyes a little before looking at Aaron’s stomach. “She told grandad Paddy. Will you hurt your tummy?”

Aaron brings her up towards him, nearly crushes her as he sees Robert’s got tears in his eyes and he tries to hold it together himself. “I won’t, I won’t, Annie I promise I won’t.”

He tries to think, gauge when exactly she must have seen him, seen _them_.

He can’t quite place it, just knows that she probably didn’t care all that much until she heard the words: hospital, scars.

It makes his heart break.

“You won’t go to ‘ospital?”

Aaron shakes his head passionately. “Never. Not for ... darling, you don’t worry about that.” He strokes her soft hair and kisses her gently until she falls against his chest and curls herself up.

It takes only about ten minutes before she’s falling asleep on him. He stares down at her, strokes her back as she sleeps.

“Aaron ...” Robert tries to hold Aaron’s hand but he just shrugs him away.

“Look what I’ve done to her.” Aaron whispers. “She’s a nervous wreck already ‘cause of me.”

“No.” Robert says passionately. “She’s worried, any kid would be after what she heard.” He says. He tries reaching out again and then stops short. “Aaron, _please_.”

“Please what?” Aaron says. “Go back in time and don’t do _this_.” His top is riding up, he can see some of his scars and he feels that shame suddenly.

He feels _ashamed_.

“I wish I could. So do you.”

Robert looks at him. “Do I wish you didn’t feel the need to hurt yourself? Of course. But it’s ... you’re you, I love you so much.”

It makes Aaron close his eyes. “I don’t know why.” Tears swim in his eyes. “How do you bring yourself to stick around eh? Keep having kids with someone who — when I keep having to tell them that I’m ... that I used to ...”

It makes something collapse in Robert and he scoots closer suddenly, finds Aaron’s head in his neck. He feels him crying against him and he lets him, he lets him find some other sort of release until he pulls away.

“You, you’re the best daddy in the world.” He’s always said it. “They love you so much.” Aaron looks away. “And I stick around because I love you, you idiot. Because there’s no one else that I can imagine raising a family with.”

“More fool you.” Aaron says, but he doesn’t seem to be so sad anymore. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t say that. You have nothing to be sorry for.” Aaron hears, a gentleness, Robert. “I love you.” He says again.

This time, Aaron holds at his hand and nods. “I love you.” He says.

 

—

 

Chas explains herself in the best way she can, she sighs, she shakes her head and says that they were being stupid and talking about how far he’d come.

“I just said ... there’s a bit of me that always worries, always fears that you could go back to that. It’s all I said.”

It’s all she said apparently.

But she’s sorry, and he forgives her, tells her that he’s in such a better place now.

It makes her shoulders relax, it makes Annie seem a little brighter over the next few days.

“You’re not still worried about me are you?” Aaron asks as he drops her to school, he kneels down and squeezes her cheek when she shakes her head. “I love you so much.”

And maybe he’ll never think he deserves her, or this, maybe they’ll always be that part of him that feels ashamed.

But she squeezes him, and Jacob jumps up on him just because and Seb still kisses his cheek when he drops him to school.

So maybe Robert’s right.

 

—

 

**Ella:**

 

They’re having some much needed alone time and it’s almost too good to be true really.

Seb’s and Jacob are with Isaac, Cain and Moira’s problem for tonight then and Annie’s busy being Belle’s fashion business assistant. They’ve only got Ella and yeah she’s crazy but she’s happily watching a film downstairs.

So they get carried away, so carried away that they completely forget that there’s a kid in the house.

Aaron’s practically naked, and Robert’s rolling them about in bed like they’re in their twenties or something.

“Rob ... Rob, we’re not having sex.” Aaron has to practically push Robert off of him who looks stunned. His hair’s all over the place and he stares at a very topless Aaron.

“Why not?” He looks like a petulant child, it’s hilarious.

“Because, Robert, we have our youngest downstairs.”

“Yeah, _downstairs_.” Robert says. “As in, many walls between us.” He leans over again and then starts kissing at Aaron again, pinning him back down on the bed and reaching for his belt.

Aaron totally gives in, he switches positions so that he’s on top of Robert and he teases him as much as he can before the sound of the door goes and Ella stands there looking between them.

She’s got a pair of scissors in her hands and she’s holding at her arm.

“Darling, you shouldn’t —“ Aaron instantly panics because he’s a dad and his little girl has cut her arm. It’s not that bad, he gets off the bed and holds at it whilst her large blue eyes start to pool with tears. “You never touch scissors, ever.” He says.

Robert’s already got the first aid kit out, assessing the damage as she cries quietly. She never cries, she’s always hard as nails and so Aaron’s heart breaks as her chin wobbles.

“Oh Ella.” He keeps saying, Robert works quickly, pressing a bandage on the tiny cut. “What were you doing?”

“I wanted to cut my top to make it shorter.” She says, she already seems a little brighter. “Like Belle does.”

“Thought you wanted to be a chef like Uncle Marlon?” Robert teases, holds her little knee as she shrugs. It makes him squeeze, makes her giggle a little. “You call daddy or me next time okay?”

“I did!” She jumps, a frown on her face. “You must have been busy.”

Aaron looks at the smirk on Robert’s face and he shakes his head.

“We’ve learnt our lesson now though, don’t worry.” Aaron kisses her temple and Robert’s face drops as she starts playing on the bed. “You heard right.”

“Well if I did, I heard that s-e-x is off the table in case our four year old decides to be a fashion designer.” Robert’s still got a few of his buttons undone, Aaron’s belt is nearly off and his top is under the sheets somewhere. He looks so indignant.

“Exactly.” Aaron says. “She could have hurt herself really badly.” 

“It was a scratch.”

“Yeah but —“

“It’s like yours daddy.” Ella turns and jumps onto Aaron’s lap, she points to his tummy and his heart jolts slightly. He looks up at Robert and gulps.

“Yeah.” He says cautiously.

She doesn’t seem to be fazed, she just stares at the way that most of them are faded out against his skin. Some have gone completely over the years, others will always stay.

He’s at peace with that now.

“You’ve got them all here.” She points to his stomach again, this time towards the longest one and then at his arm. That day at the scrapyard, Robert saving his life. Robert watches, sees the way Aaron just nods his head a little. “Does it hurt?”

“No.” Aaron says quickly, and he wasn’t sure what reaction he was expecting but it wasn’t this one. For some reason, for a very particular reason actually, they’ve always taken every single second they have with Ella and treasured it completely.

She was early, really early, she spent months in hospital and Aaron and Robert were lost without being able to hold her. She had all these little tubes and her middle name haunted them so badly.

Grace.

But then she got better, stronger, now she’s so brave and big and a silly cut to her arm doesn’t faze her for more than a few minutes.

“Does yours hurt you?”

“Bit.” Ella whispers, “Will it stay like your ones?”

“No it’ll fade.” Aaron whispers back, “Mine are different.” He decides.

Robert blinks a little as he comes towards Aaron and Ella on the bed, lets her sit on his lap.

“Are they ‘cause you’re brave?”

Aaron’s mouth hangs open. “No —“

“Of course.” Robert says. “Daddy’s always been brave, they show it don’t they?” He strokes her hair and then kisses her head as she nods. “Brave daddy.” He whispers.

Aaron wipes at his face a little and then smiles.

 

—

 

Seb and Jacob come home for tea because Moira’s out and Cain offered them chips. Annie’s back with way too many stories to tell little Ella too and they watch her eyes glow.

“Yeah well Ella’s not a fashion designer just yet, she’s still too little.” Robert says as he get the plates out and Annie sits there looking in her phone mirror and pouting.

Aaron’s already losing his mind over the idea of her and a boy. It’s hilarious. Liv’s teasin only makes it funnier.

“Why not?” Annie eventually says. “Did she —“

Ella shows off her wound like she’s a war hero. “Yeah but it means I’m brave, just like daddy’s ones do.” She says, it gets Jacob and Seb looking towards her.

Seb and Jacob are close enough in age to think the same sort of thing. They seem shocked, and Robert just nods his head a little as Aaron comes into the room.

“What have I missed?” Aaron’s asking as he senses the atmosphere.

Annie just smiles, “Nothing.” She says, and she’s not the worry pot she used to be, more focused on makeup and gossip than anything else. She’s everything Liv wasn’t and it’s a welcomed and scary change. It took her time to understand it, Robert still wonders if she does and it’s okay if she doesn’t, but she doesn’t freeze whenever Aaron’s shirtless anymore. “Just going on about how brave you are.”

“Yeah. The bravest.” Jacob says, he’s being sarcastic and not being sarcastic at all. He takes everything as a joke, hides most of his emotions that way but now he nods. “Really brave.” He says.

“No I’m —“ Aaron starts and then he realises what they’re on about. “Oh.”

“Yeah. Oh.” Seb says, then he shrugs. “Accept the compliment so we can start eating.” He says, lanky and tall and yet still their little boy.

“Accepted.” Aaron waves a hand up and beams under the smile Robert gives him from across the room.

He catches him mouth an I Love You and he says it back before Jacob looks up and tells them to get a room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked this, I tried to keep the reactions as separate as I could. I’d love to know what you thought or which one you liked the most!


End file.
